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Forward Arkansas Awards $10K Grant to Jonesboro Public Schools, Other Arkansas School Districts

Forward Arkansas Awards $10K Grant to Jonesboro Public Schools, Other Arkansas School Districts

Forward Arkansas representatives and Jonesboro Public Schools leadership pose with the $10,000 grant check. Photo: Contributed/Forward Arkansas


Jonesboro, AR – Jonesboro Right Now – Forward Arkansas announced it was distributing grants to eight school districts throughout the state, with a Jonesboro district being one of the recipients.

The grants are part of Forward Arkansas’s Instructional Interventions Outcomes-Based Contracting (OBC) cohort, in which each recipient will receive a $10,000 grant that will help each district create an OBC for the 2027-2028 school year.

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“Outcomes-based contracting helps ensure districts’ dollars support what matters most: real progress for our state’s students,” Forward Arkansas CEO Edie Stewart said in a news release. “We’re excited to invest in this proven approach to help even more districts strengthen their instructional interventions, transform their partnerships with providers and improve student outcomes statewide.”

Jonesboro Public Schools was one of the recipients. The other schools that received grants are listed below:

  • Camden Fairview School District
  • Delta Prepatory Schools
  • Glen Rose School District
  • Harrison Public Schools
  • Norfork School District
  • Palestine-Wheately School District
  • West Fork School District

According to Forward Arkansas, at least 40% of the district’s payment with an OBC is contingent on the service provider meeting agreed-upon, measurable student results. The Arkansas Department of Education prioritized districts using the model, including districts that participated in Forward Arkansas’s OBC cohorts, when awarding grants for high-impact tutoring.

Forward Arkansas is a nonprofit established by the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation and Walton Family Foundation dedicated to improving the state’s education through promoting best educational practices.

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